23 Smiles
by Society's Failure
Summary: But most of all, he cherished a smile. It wasn't his own smile, no— well, not the one on his face. He did like to think of it as his in private, though. And he was willing to do most anything just to see it. 23 drabbles of NaruSaku fluff, one a day for a special reason.
1. Breakfast is 23

There were only a few things in the world that Naruto really cherished, and having grown up on his own as an orphan, they tended to be more... sentimental ideas, rather than material objects.

The exception to that being his Ichiraku coupons, of course.

Other than the coupons, which he always seemed to have in his pocket in never ending supply, he valued things like... That feeling he got when he mastered a jutsu. The way the villagers looked at him now. His friends and companions. The family he had created for himself in the lack of a blood one.

But most of all, he cherished a smile.

It wasn't his own smile, no—well, not the one on his face. He did like to think of it as _his _smile in private, though. And he was willing to do most anything just to see it.

Today, 'most anything' meant knowing just what was needed.

It had become his tendency to visit the hospital on a daily basis when there were no missions to be completed or tasks finished. Though most of the time it was just to socialize and linger, he had proved himself to be a ready hand if need be—he was able to supplement healers' chakra with his own, and had a knack for cheering up those sentenced to their beds or in recovery, often times extending it out to assuage the worries of both patients and families with his goofy charm. He was normally a welcome sight.

But today, he could feel the energy was off as he walked in through the large doors. The first floor, where basic examinations and check-ups were performed, had an eerie quiet about it—as thought there was a fear of disturbing the peace.

Which probably meant the ruler of the realm was _in a mood._

He raised a questioning brow to the receptionist, Teyumi, and she waved him over to her desk.

"She came in pretty late—something about not sleeping well. And I'm pretty sure she forgot to have breakfast and coffee before coming in," she whispered to him, hunched over the sign-in sheets in front of her to close the distance, and hopefully avoid summoning the beast.

"Aaaaand she hates the coffee in the lounge so it'd just make her more angry," Naruto whispered back, drumming his fingers against the desk very lightly. Teyumi nodded, and went back to shuffling through his paperwork, only glancing up to watch the back of the blonde move back out the hospital entrance with a faint smile. He was an odd one, that was for sure...

* * *

To say she was off to a bad morning would have been one of the largest understatements known to mankind. With a combination of a late night due to consoling a certain female blonde friend after a recent breakup, waking up ten minutes before she usually left for work, and a lack of food and coffee, her mood was indubitably _awful._

Her stiff movements and short replies to those around her made it blaringly obvious, and she wasn't surprised that no one had spoken to her so far today unless absolutely necessary. Ten o'clock rolled around, and between her appointments she found the time to take off for a quick break. Heading towards the lounge, she practically growled at a male nurse who bumped into her, effectively scaring him away and clearing the path to the door in one move.

Although she hated the hospital coffee with a seething passion, she could see no alternative. The room was empty when she entered, and her eyes immediately went to the coffee pot with a glare...

Only to be distracted by an arrangement of sorts on the counter to its left, a paper folded in half in front of it with her name written in a scrawl she knew. Her brow furrowed, but she stepped closer. Steam was rising from a thermos, and the smell rising from it she identified as her favourite coffee blend. On a plate next to it was a fresh bagel with a few packaged packs of cream cheese, and a small bowl of fruit—altogether, one of her typical breakfasts. Gratitude and relief filled her as she reached for the paper, unfolding it to see the note written on the flip side.

"_Sakura-chan,_

_Teyumi-san told me you didn't eat breakfast, so I brought you some. I hope it's good enough! _

_-Naruto"_

By the time she was done reading, a grin had broken across her face.


	2. Icing is 22

Sometimes, to get to see that smile, he did things on purpose. But sometimes, he just... Was himself, and he got it anyway. Though that didn't diminish the importance of the smile, or his feeling of pride that he had caused it.

It had been Kakashi's birthday just the day before, and with the celebration at Sakura's house (a small party of a few select people who didn't bore or annoy the masked man) that had meant that when he had politely refused the cupcakes that had been so carefully created for him, they kept their original place in the roseate's fridge.

And with the knowledge of sweets and leftover party food and a promise of a movie night, Naruto was found the following day on Sakura's couch, junk food splayed out on her coffee table and a cupcake in his hand while he whined about how long she was taking to get her drink. It might as well have been an hour since she started making her tea, and he wanted to start the movie. Something horror flick-y, to please her and scare the shit out of his imaginative self.

"Sakura-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"

"Shut up before I hit you," she scolded him as she walked into the living room, a cup of steaming tea cradled between her hands.

"Well, you were taking too long!" he whined further, only to be hit upside the head with a pillow when she had taken her seat next to him and set down the cup. He squawked, and glared indignantly before huffing and taking a bite out of his cupcake. Sakura only shook her head at him, and leaned forward to take a cupcake herself. It took the blonde a long moment to realize she was frowning at the pastry, and another to swallow the huge bite he had taken.

"You're supposed to eat it, you know," he commented lazily. She glared at him again.

"I put too much icing on them. I don't like a lot of icing," she retorted simply. Naruto looked at her cupcake, and it only made sense for him to lean over and use two fingers to swipe across the top, gathering in a glob just about the whole mess of icing. Giving her a shit-eating grin, he shrugged at the almost disbelieving look he was given, receiving an eye roll in return.

"You said you don't like it, so I solved the problem," he laughed. "I could have just smooshed the entire thing into your face instead—it would have been funnier." His bright blue eyes took on a more playful gleam, but the narrowing of her jade ones was almost threatening—if for the fact he really did think it would have been ridiculously funny.

"You wouldn't _dare_," she declared lowly, perhaps not realizing that in that moment—in that single statement—she had issued a challenge. Naruto sat up a bit, an eyebrow raised as he smirked.

"Oh you think so?"

And then the glob balanced on his fingers was hitting her cheek, and it was only her literal ninja reflexes that saved her from a complete icing facial.

"NARUTO!" she shrieked, grabbing his hand and in the process getting the icing all over her own. But she was only replied to with a laugh as he kept trying to regain ground, and mark her face further with the brown chocolate goodness. The battle ensued with laughter on both sides, but he slipped up and suddenly his face was decorated with the icing too—as well as a portion of his blonde hair, and a large streak on his pants.

But looking at the roseate, her wounds were obviously greater. With a whole side of her face coated in chocolate finger streaks and her nose tipped with icing, he would claim victory in the war that had just been ended.

Despite the icing dominating her face, though, what he noticed most was the absolute grin she was flashing him, making his heart skip a bit. It made his own widen even further.

"I should make you lick it all off, you baka," she laughed, standing up with her hands raised in front of her to protect her belongings from being affected by the icing there.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have said I wouldn't," he teased in return, heading towards the kitchen to rinse the icing off of him, while she went to the bathroom. And no matter how mock-angry she would act in later days at what he had done—even swatting him for the little bit he had managed to get on the back of her couch, he would always think the daring move worth it, if only because she had been laughing with him the whole time.


	3. Sparrows are 21

**(Prepare for a modern AU drabble SUCK IT OKEI, it sucks and is shorter but shhh I'm loopy)**

* * *

Sakura woke up to the sound of loud, angry squawking coming from her kitchen.

Well, technically it wasn't hers—it was the one that she and Naruto shared, and had shared since they had both graduated high school. So... The past three years. Grumbling under her breath about having been awakened before six on a Saturday, she pulled a house robe over her pyjamas and marched out of her room, fully prepared to voice her displease at whatever the fuck was going on.

"Naruto! What the he—" she cut herself off when she turned the corner into the kitchen and dining room area, and saw the blonde leaned over the table with...

A nest of birds settled in front of him?

"Hell is a bunch of birds doing in my dining room?" she changed her wording, voice rising in her disbelief and surprise.

"Well uh... Uhm..." Naruto started, sitting back in his chair with a sheepish look. "I found the nest this morning while running, and they were alone and squawking and I looked around and there was a cat eating the mom sparrow right nearby and I couldn't just leave them!" he exclaimed, a slight pout on his lips.

But Sakura wasn't quite convinced. She crossed her arms over her chest, and strode over to stand next to the table and peer down into the nest where three... rather ugly-but-so-ugly-they-were-cute baby birds peaked out. Upon seeing her, they all began to squawk even louder.

"So you brought them inside." Her tone made it clear her current disapproval, which really was only stemming from the fact she was running on a precariously low amount of sleep as it was, and definitely was not appreciating being woken up so early.

"Well...I figured I could..." he kinda shrugged, and looked down at his adopted babies with a softened eye. "You know. Take care of 'em."

The picture before her was... sickeningly sweet. She had always known that Naruto had a tendency to pick up orphaned or hurt animals whenever he saw them, and to try and nurse them back to health, but... In her dining room? The chicks started their squawking again, escalating in volume, and the man donned a look of concern before leaning over them again, making shushing sounds as though that would soothe their complaints, much like a mother to her babe. She couldn't help but smile at him, and shake her head. How was it possible for an idiot like him to be as adorable as he was, sometimes?

Because other times he was just an idiot.

She sighed, and walked over to the desk where their laptops sat side by side. "Well, I guess we need to look up what exactly we'll need to do." And despite the fact she wanted to stay annoyed at him, and chastise him for doing this to her so early in the morning, she couldn't bring herself to do it when he sprang up with a grin and joined her in the Googling of sparrow care.


	4. Thunder is 20

**AN: oh look another modern AU SUCK IT BITCHES I DO WHAT I WANT and no these might not all make sense to you but they have a purpose okei**

Having been best friends since the tail end of middle school (once he had managed to grow up a bit and she had managed to stop viewing him as a total nuisance) Naruto and Sakura were privy to knowledge about each other that pretty much nobody else knew. Even Sasuke didn't know the things Sakura knew about Naruto, and Ino was exempt from knowledge of certain secrets of Sakura's that Naruto was trusted with.

But there were also things that just... didn't manage to come up between them. Sometimes those things had to happen on a rare random occurrence, and then it was, on the honour of a pinky-promise, sworn to be kept only between them and not to become the common knowledge of their other friends. Things like Naruto's love of gardening (which she had only found out when they moved in together after they started college and he brought his favourite lily plant with him for the balcony area) or Sakura's complete collection of all the Icha Ichas ever written, hidden away where nobody would ever see (unless a Naruto happened across the shoebox full of them in the back of her closet while searching for a scarf).

Sometimes those things were revealed at 3:15 in the morning on a Sunday, without much warning at all.

It had been three months since they had moved in together, and so far, no problems. They had stayed up kinda late watching horror flicks, and once the popcorn ran out and the blonde started dozing, they had decided it was time for bed. The two had gone to their respective rooms, and had a day of papers and homework planned for the next day. She had fallen asleep quickly and soundly, without a lingering fear of any of the monsters from their marathon, and without really noticing the storm gust in, the rain slamming against the windows and building with a gusto.

Unlike her roommate.

She wasn't awake to hear the thunder as it began to roll, or see the lightning flash outside. Or at least, she hadn't been.

"Sakura... _Saaaaakura_... Sakura-chan, _please_."

The voice was trying to pull her from the sweet, sweet embrace of sleep, and she grunted her discontent. A hand gently nudged her shoulder, and when she only huffed as a reply shook it. Finally, she rolled over and snapped her eyes open, ready to growl at who she already knew was there.

"_Naruto_! What the hell is so important tha—"

She was cut off by the look she saw on his face as another clap of thunder rattled through the apartment. He looked... Scared? More like mildly terrified. His brow was furrowed and his eyes looked frantic, his mouth grim and though all she could see by was the light from the hallway, she could tell he was paler than normal. The roseate sat up, concern flooding her.

"Hey now, Sunshine, hey," she coed worriedly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and bringing him in close, feeling his tighten around her waist and his face burrow into her shoulder. "Sunshine, what's wrong?" she asked after a long minute, her hand stroking up and down his back comfortingly. Another peal of thunder—this time she could feel his body tense in her hold, and she was able to connect two and two.

"'m scared of thunder," he muttered, like it was a dirty confession rather than a simple fact. In any other circumstance, she might have laughed at him—but the state he was in gave her the strength to bite it back to a slight smile before she pushed him back gently by the shoulders, and slid over closer the edge of her bed.

"Well, come on," she told him, flipping back the sheet and patting the cleared space next to her. A look of relief settled on his strained features, and he quickly sidled right next to her, not giving her the chance to take her offer back. She rolled onto her side, facing away from him, and felt his almost abnormally warm body meld to her, an arm around her waist and his soft breathing at the back of her neck. The close position didn't feel strange to either, and already her lids were feeling heavy again as he found comfort in her presence, as much as she found contentedness in his.

After that night, it became a given she would have a bedmate during storms, and it was also a given that no one found out about his secret fear. And that was just the way it was.


	5. Animal Planet is 19

**AU: So basically college AU NaruSaku roommates is my favourite AU to write from methinks**

Naruto has always been the kind of guy that tended to worry. So on the nights that he didn't know Sakura was staying out late, or was taking a late shift, or was just out with Ino or whatever else she could possibly be doing, he often spent them… Kinda stressing. Not because he was possessive or something—no, he just held a genuine concern for her wellbeing, and even held off calling until it was past midnight to avoid seeming like he was being overbearing.

And until he made that call or got a kind of confirmation that she was okay, he always—without fail—stayed up in the living room watching the Animal Planet until he knew.

It took her a long time to be able to make the connection between his choice in show, and the fact she only caught him watching it during those times she got home late. Most of those times, he would immediately shut it off the instant she walked in the door, and ask her how she was, and all the generic "hey you just walked in so let's have a conversation" talk. Nothing out of place, really. As far as she knew he just… Really liked to watch the Animal Planet.

But one day her curiosity got the best of her. She had gotten home late that night—overtime on her shift, and it was just hitting midnight as she walked in the door. As expected, the TV was spewing facts about (this time) some kind of snake in Africa, and the blonde was sitting on the couch, looking fairly absorbed by the show.

"I never would have had you pinned for a documentary-watching sort of guy, Sunshine," she told him lightly, despite the fatigue that wore down at her very being. He seemed kinda of surprised at the comment, and stumbled for a reply.

"I… Uh… well, I like 'em. The more you know, right? Haha." His laugh came kind of awkwardly, and another thought came to her.

"Especially one that only watches them late at night," she noted dully, hanging up her jacket and pouring herself a glass of water after. The roseate leaned against the kitchen cabinet, and raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

Naruto flipped the TV off with the remote, and stood with a stretch of his lean body. "Well, what can I say? I'm a closet intellectual."

"Only until I come home?" she questioned with a smirk. He pouted.

"You make me self conscious of my inner-brilliance. No one's allowed to know, you see."

"I think you're bullshitting me," she retorted with a laugh. Originally she was only teasing, but at the almost embarrassed look he gave in reply, her face fell a bit. "I was just messin', Sunshine. What you chose to watch is your own business."

Naruto shrugged, and moved around her to get into the cabinet and pull out a ramen cup. "It's just easy to stay awake to. Mindless facts keep me up." He said it like it was nothing, but the actual statement confused her.

"Why would you want to stay up? You always turn it off when I get home anyway, so…" Her jade eyes followed him as he filled the cup with water and put it in the microwave, seeming to give her words thought. As the clock reached halfway, he sighed and just shrugged again.

"I don't like going to sleep when I don't know if you're okay or not, so I wait up," he confessed in a grumble. He had expected her to be annoyed by the overprotective gesture, or maybe insulted that he felt the need to try and ensure her safety that much. But the smile he was granted, along with the tight hug with a light laugh told him otherwise.

"Sunshine, you're too cute sometimes."

After that, he would come to notice that he got a lot more texts telling him about her night time plans, and that he seemed to be taking in a lot less random facts about animals.


	6. Nursery Talk is 18

"I think we should do the entire thing _orange."_

"I think if you don't want to be sleeping on the couch for the next seven months, you'll not even try to offer that again."

"But Sakura, it's a such good colour! It's strong and bright and happy and—"

"Entirely too much for a _nursery."_

The pair were sitting on the floor of the empty room, looking at the four walls as if the answer to their dilemma would jump off the tan coloured paint.

"Totally is not! This is my kid, we're talking about!" The look Sakura shot at the blonde nearly drove him from all motivation to voice his input, and he immediately shut up before he continued on with his 'reasoning.'

"_Our _kid, you mean. Which means it's half me, too," she corrected him, rolling her eyes. They had only found out she was pregnant a month ago just as she hit the first month mark, and had since moved into a small house in preparation for the new arrival—which was a fairly nice upgrade from the miniscule apartment they had started out in nine years before, when they had both graduated high school. The move had already been in the works even before the news of the baby had come about, but now the incentive was there and the transition had followed (basically) without a hitch. Excluding the morning sickness.

"Yeah, that," he replied a bit dejectedly, and lay back on the floor to stare at the ceiling. Sakura just watched him for a moment before sighing and followed suit, hands instinctively settling over her still-flat stomach. From the corner of her eye she could see his mouth quirk upwards in a smile.

"What you grinning about, Sunshine?" she asked him. Turning her head to look over at the blonde, she couldn't help but reflect the expression. He looked sheepish, and turned on his side, using his arm to prop himself up and look down.

"I'm excited, 's all," he replied simply. His grin grew, and he laughed. "I just hope I'll be a good dad, is all."

The remark made her shake her head, and she raised a hand to pat his cheek affectionately. "Nah. You'll be great. But you're gonna be wrapped around its finger so tight, you won't know what to do with yourself." He pouted, but didn't refute the statement.

"What do you want it to be?" he asked softly, and reached out to cover her hand with his, squeezing gently. She let out a thoughtful hum, and closed her eyes for a moment.

"I don't know. But I hope it gets my hair." She peaked through the corner of her eye at the scowling blonde, and laughed.

"No way. What if it's a boy? It would never get over the jokes asking if it was real or not!" he protested, missing the teasing tone that she had delivered the words in.

"Oh, so it has to be blonde, huh? And get called dumb all the time?" she countered with a grin, amused to see the man get so uppity about something as silly as their child's hair colour. "Well, I guess if it _is _half your kid…"

"Hey!"

"Shhhh, relax." She paused a moment, and then continued. "It might be red, you know. Your mom's was, and so was my dad's. So I guess that's a higher chance than pink _or _blonde."

The thought seemed to soothe his mind. "I guess that's better than pink." At the brow that was raised at him, he reddened. "Not that pink is necessarily bad! Well, for a boy…"

"Am I getting the hint that you want it to be a boy, then?" she questioned, and he shrugged, but didn't deny. Sakura chewed her lip, and resumed looking up at the ceiling. "I just want it to be happy, you know? I just want to raise it right. Boy or girl or pink or red or blonde haired or tall or short or just… You get it."

Naruto leaned over and kissed her forehead, and she could feel the smile on his lips as he did it. "You're gonna be a great mom to it. I know it. And we'll be the best parents a kid could have and it'll go around bragging about how awesome we are and it'll be smart like you and oh so charming like me and just be our little ball of sunshine, okay?"

"But you're already my sunshine, Sunshine."

"Well, I guess you have to get used to having more than one, huh?"

She smiled. "I don't think that'll be a problem."


	7. Ramblings are 17

Although Naruto always claimed that he loved every single bit of Sakura (which was true, of course), there were definitely parts of her, or things about her, that he loved more than the others. Silly little things like her love of wedding shows, or the borderline obsession with Fruit Loops.

But something that he felt was especially his, and really his alone, was how she would ramble about the most random things before they went to sleep. A lot of the time, it was something to do with work—something that he didn't have any clue about. That wasn't really the point, though.

He would pull her close to him, an arm around her waist, and his nose in her hair and his eyes already closed, and she would just talk. He didn't have to reply, and most of the time he didn't. But that didn't much impact whether or not she stopped. Her voice would be soft and it was so easy to tell she was sleepy, but it made him smile. Whether the topic was about how to perform a certain kind of surgery, or about the weird little patient she had had a week ago, there were just things that didn't seem important to bring up in normal conversation, and somehow ended up in her ramblings.

Naruto wondered if she really realized what she was saying, or if she just let it go as a stream of conscious. He didn't ask, because it didn't matter anyway. But it was funny when she would tell him the same thing, and he could actually recall the details before she continued. He did his best to remember what he was told, or at least the gist of what was being said, but he couldn't really be blamed for forgetting the intricate details of how to perform an open heart surgery.

Most nights that it happened, her voice would get slowly softer and softer until her murmurings he couldn't understand, and eventually she just trailed off and her breathing totally evened out, and that's when he knew she was asleep. And then he would resist the urge to laugh softly, and he'd kiss her shoulder, and whisper right by her ear that he loved her, even if she wasn't awake to hear it, and follow her example soon after.


	8. Dentists are 16

"Sakura, there's something wrong with my mouth."

"Yeah. You never shut it," the roseate replied, looking through the scroll she was reading without even glancing up at the blonde, even as she could feel his glare bear into the top of her head. She sat on the floor of library between two bookshelves, scrolls half opened and draped over her lap as she searched for information for an experiment she was performing at the hospital.

"Seriously, Sakura-chan! It hurts really bad!" he whined, and sat down directly in front of her, forcing her attention to him. The desperate look on his face was the only thing that made her sigh, and set aside the scroll to kneel in front of him, and tap his chin.

"Fine. Open," she ordered, and with relief in his eyes, he acquiesced. Immediately she was overwhelmed by the strong smell of Naruto breath and barbeque ramen. "Thanks for breathing your ramen breath all over me," she grumbled with a swat to his cheek. Shrugging, he made an odd sound as he tried to make up an excuse with his mouth wide open, but stopped when she fixated him with a glare. Her attention focused back in on his mouth, and even though she was no professional (at least not in the mouth field) she could identify the problem with ease.

"You have a cavity."

And for the look of horror she received, she might as well have told him he was going to die.

"No, I can't!" the blonde protested, absolute dread clear in his tone. He looked anxious, but she shrugged and sat back down to give her scrolls her attention.

"Fine. Don't trust my opinion. But you have a cavity, and you need to get it fixed for the pain to go away." Picking back up her scroll, she glanced up at him, and sighed when she still saw that horrified look on his face. "Naruto, it's not that bad. Just go to the den—"

"Can't you fix it?" he interrupted. "I mean, you're a medic, and—"

"Not trained to fix teeth. It's just not something we really do." And it was true. Some medics knew how to heal teeth, but normally it was easier just to send even a shinobi to a local dentist to get their dental needs taken care of, though mouth surgery was often performed by both. "It's not that big of a deal. My dentist does a really good job, I can refe—"

"I can't go to the dentist," he interrupted again, face paling at the idea. His tone seemed so decided—so sure. Sakura huffed.

"Well, then you get to wait until you have to get surgery and a root canal," she retorted, noting the increased terror at the thought. "What is so bad about the dentist? They're just like regular doctors, except for your mouth."

Scowling, he shook his head. "They are not! They're… Weird and evil people who only live to jab innocent people in the gums and make them bleed and feel pain."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. "I don't know what dentist you've been to, but obviously you didn't see a very good one." She had meant it playfully, but the hurt look that he gave her confirmed the truth in her words. Her face fell a bit, and she frowned. "Awww, Sunshine. Bad experience?" she questioned gently.

"I was five, and they didn't numb me while I got a filling," he grumbled. "It was awful."

"Well, now you're old enough that you can make sure they do. But you really do need it done, Naruto," she told him, awww'ing over the mental image of a little Naruto having to go through something like that. "Or else it'll just get worse." His dejected face told her that he knew, and wasn't very happy about it. "We can go see my dentist now, and set you up an appointment if you like?"

Fairly suspicious, he looked none too pleased with the idea. "I… well, I really don't…"

It was obvious this would go nowhere unless she took control of the situation. Groaning, she stood and left the scrolls where she had left them, knowing she'd be back later, and pulled on his hand until he followed suit. "Come on, Naruto. I'll hold your hand if I have to."

But she didn't really think she'd have to _literally _hold his hand.

Walking into the dentistry alone had set the blonde on edge, a tension keeping him stiff in posture and demeanour in a way that was so different than his normal strut. Although he had let go of her hand once they had begun to walk, now he sought it again, and she squeezed his reassuringly as they walked up to the receptionist.

"Hello, Miyu," she greeted the old woman, who smiled up at the pair.

"Hello, Sakura. You just had your cleaning done a few weeks ago, so I'm supposing you're not here to schedule an appointment?"

The roseate shook her head, and nudged the blonde a bit. "No, but Naruto here has a cavity that he needs filled, and I was wondering if he could see Dr. Yako about it."

Miyu smiled up at him, and he only paled even more and fidgeted. "Of course! Actually, if you want, he has the afternoon free—he could see him now, if he doesn't have a regular dentist elsewhere."

Naruto shook his head slightly, swallowing in apprehension as Sakura continued to lead the appointment. "That would be great! Thank you so much."

"Then I'll be back in a moment, and we'll check you out, Naruto." The old lady stood slowly, and made her way into the back rooms to speak to Dr. Yako.

"See, Sunshine? Not so bad?" she teased him, swinging their joined hands playfully. But even then, he didn't smile or reply, his eyes reflecting the fear he was quite clearly feeling. She frowned again, and reached up to pat his cheek. "Hey. It's going to be okay, okay? It's just a dentist—and you're a big manly man, right?"

"I'm scared of the dentist, is what I am," he croaked in return, and it was almost heart-breaking to see him—usually so bright and bubbly and fearless—brought down to this by a bad childhood memory. The door to the back opened, and Miyu was on her way back. Sakura squeezed his hand again.

"Well, I'll be here the whole time, okay? So there's nothing to be afraid of."

He could only nod in reply.

"He's ready to see you now, in the examination room. Sakura, you can show Naruto back there, can't you, dear?"

"Of course. Thank you, Miyu. Come on, Naruto," she encouraged, and tugged him along to the back.

A hour and a filling later, and they were leaving the dentist and walking hand-in-hand down the village street until they reached the library again, Sakura grinning triumphantly and Naruto running his tongue along his teeth experimentally.

"I told you it wouldn't be that bad," she said, hitting him lightly with her elbow. He smiled, though the left side of his mouth was still affected by the numbing shot, and so it was a bit lopsided.

"Yeah, but I don't think I'd've done it if you hadn't gone with me," he told her, and let go of her hand, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "So… I uh… Thank you, Sakura-chan."

"Of course, Sunshine." She laughed, pleased to see him so much more relaxed in comparison to how he was earlier. But then he was hugging her really close, and she was again struck by just how scared he had been—and how important it was to him that she had stayed through the whole thing. She hugged him back, and couldn't help the smile she gave him after he pulled away with a grin of his own, stuck his hands in his pockets, and walked along his merry way, leaving her to return to her library and her books.


	9. Fast Food is 15

When they were young, they had bickered a lot. Usually over him doing something really dumb, or her being mean to him, but it was just bickering—no real full on fights. As far as he could recall, at least.

The same applied even as they had aged. Stupid bickering over very small things, but nothing big that continuously popped up or was the root of any evil dispute. They went through high school, graduated, and moved in together as they both started college before something came up.

Oh, but when it did, hell might as well have found its place in their apartment.

"You've got to be kidding me! You like that crap?"

"Crap? It's so good, what are you even talking about?"

"Sunshine, your taste buds are all kinds of fucked if you like anything they have." The roseate sat in the passenger seat of their car, looking at the blonde behind the wheel with absolute disbelief.

"Well _excuse me_, Princess, what would you suggest instead?" he asked mockingly, looking awfully superior.

"Wendy's is where it's at," she replied firmly, eyes flashing slightly at his immediate laugh.

"Wendy's? You're the one who's got to be kidding me. They're no better than McDonalds!" Sitting in the car, this whole argument in itself had come about with a simple question. What to have for dinner? Neither really felt like making something, and it was a Friday—they might as well kind of indulge, right? And of course, Naruto had replied with one of his favourite restaurants, which was—

"Arby's is like they took dirt and made it into burger form!" she retaliated, looking honestly offended at his jab at her favourite fast food joint.

"Don't you dare say such blasphemy!" he cried, scowling at her in return.

"Well, it's true, so wake up and eat Wendy's, dumbass."

"THAT'S NOT HEALTHY AND WOULDN'T BE NICE ANYWAY."

"WELL ARBY'S SUCKS AND WOULDN'T EVEN TASTE GOOD."

"NEITHER WOULD WENDY'S."

"WELL, THEN GO TO WENDY'S."

"FINE. AND YOU GO TO ARBY'S."

"FINE."

"OKAY."

"WELL GET OUT THEN."

"NO, DRIVE US TO THE FOOD COURT YOU DUMBASS."

"FINE."

And it became a decided thing that they would always go their separate ways when it came to their favourite restaurants, if only to avoid the arguments that would surely ensue.


	10. Sickness is 14

Although having a girlfriend who worked in a hospital could be a bit hard, considering long hours and grumpy people that rubbed off on said girlfriend, there were perks to it, too. Mostly, the in-home healthcare that came free of charge (so long as he wasn't severely sick). So whenever he came down with the flu, or caught a bug that was going around, he was almost always guaranteed that he'd be chained to his bed until he was better, and force fed every kind of food and drink that would help and be made not to move until everything was back to normal.

Though he complained about it, he really did love that Sakura went the extra mile to make sure he would get better.

But there wasn't a lot of times when he was allowed to return to the favour—she never seemed to get sick, and typically tried to push away his attempts at taking care of her. So the Monday morning when she woke up with a high fever and throwing up, he knew he would finally get his chance.

"Sakura, you need to take it."

"Sunshine, I know what I need to take," she growled at him from her curled up position in their bed, "and that shit isn't it." He stood with the bottle of pink liquid in the doorway, arms crossed.

"You made me take it last weekend when I was sick with this," he reasoned, looking rather unconvinced. She lay silent for a moment, and made a grumping sound before she tugged the covers up over her head. "Sakura-chan, please?" he asked, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. The roseate grumbled something that he didn't quite understand, and he tugged down the blanket until he could see her face. "Please just take it. It's not that bad."

"That's a fucking lie and you know it," she croaked, and suddenly got a very wide-eyed look about her. Shoving him away, she tore out of the bed and towards the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time to vomit up what little was in her stomach.

The sour taste in her mouth brought tears to her eyes, and she almost didn't notice when she felt his cool hands holding her hair out of the way, or the soft consolations he was voicing right behind her. Resting her forehead against the seat, she groaned, and one of the hands ran up and down her back.

"I hate being sick," she whispered, closing her eyes against the intrusive blinding light of the overhead.

"I know," he replied sympathetically, not stopping his movements.

A long minute passed before she was sure she was ready to move away from the toilet, and she tried to stand with a groan. Her world spun, and she swore she should have fallen, but the blonde was there to catch her. She buried her face in his shoulder and groaned her protest.

"I'm gonna pick you up, okay?" she heard him say somewhere into her hair. Nodding her agreement, if only because she didn't think she could make the trek herself, she was well prepared as he secured one arm around her shoulders and one at the crook of her knee, leaving her to wrap her arms around his neck and keep her face into his shoulder. He moved as smoothly as possible, setting her gently back into the bed.

"Please take it now," he pleaded, and held out the pink bottle he had left on the nightstand. Still sitting up, she glared at him and the bottle, but knew she couldn't really fight him after her last reaction. Grudgingly, she took the Pepto-Bismol and chugged back two mouthfuls, guesstimating the dose, and tried not to choke on the awful tasting stuff as it went down. Naruto took the bottle back, and pressed a glass of water into her hand immediately after.

"I hate you," she told him after she had washed down the medicine, but was partially interrupted but a shiver.

"I know. Cold?" he questioned, pulling up the covers as she lay back down, eyes closed.

"Freezing," she replied.

"I'll get another blanket."

By the time he got back with the blanket she had almost dozed back to sleep, and just barely felt the heavy material drape over her.

"Naruto, can you call my—" she started, but was cut off as she felt his warm body press close to hers as he slid under the blankets with her, immediately alleviating some of the cold swore she felt centered from her core.

"Just go to sleep. I already called in for you earlier," he informed her, much to her surprise. "Just shhhhhhhhhh," he repeated, softer this time, a hum in his chest more than anything.

"M'kay Sunshine," she mumbled under her breath, and despite the feeling of sheer awfulness that was still permeating through her, she smiled a bit as she felt his arm around her close, protecting her with the only way he knew how—with his whole self and body, the only way he knew how to show he cared.


	11. Listening is 13

When Sakura had been younger, she had always envisioned having a boyfriend that was the cliché image of perfect—dark and sexy, stoic and handsome, smooth and irresistible.

She never would have guessed that she would end up with someone... almost the opposite. Bright and quirky, borderline obnoxious and loud, kind of awkward and to many, annoying. Perhaps the only thing that matched were the fact he was handsome in his own right (but in a more cute way than sexy), and his charm—which was absolutely unexplainable.

But it was times when he did those little things—the little things just for her, to make her feel special—that she was glad she had realized her type was much more of a Uzumaki Naruto type than the tall, dark and handsome Uchiha Sasuke type. And a lot of time, it was just silly stuff. He had a penchant for leaving post-it notes around the apartment they now shared, just to let her know he loved her, or demand that she smile just by seeing the flash of orange paper. The blonde enjoyed waking up earlier than she did before her hospital shift and making sure she had breakfast ready right then—even if it was just Fruit Loops and coffee on a tray in bed.

It was those little things that endeared him to her the most, and the ones that he'd shrug off the most, too. He'd shush her and tell her it was nothing, and no, it wasn't cute, and no she can't go telling anybody he does such things because it's unmanly and only for her to know about. A lot of the times, she didn't tell—if only because she wanted to keep the knowledge to herself, as something only between them, seeing as she had absolutely no problem emasculating him.

He never ceased to surprise her either—no matter how much she thought she was used to it, he would do something more, and it would catch her off guard. Her chest would feel warm and mushy and she'd wonder to herself why he even bothered, but couldn't help but love him for it at the same time.

But some moments were mushier than others, and tonight was one of those moments.

It was a Friday night, and they both were looking forward to sleeping in—and celebrated that by staying up a bit later than usual. He was hovered over top of her, forearms sinking into the bed on either side, lips against the pale skin of her neck. Her hands were tangled in his spiky blonde hair, and a hum of pleasure thrummed in her throat. After a moment of the open mouthed kisses, he stopped almost abruptly, and it made her open her eyes a crack to look down at her face.

"Naruto, are you—"

"Shhhh," he cut her off, and though she huffed her discontent at his command, she listened, watching him as he shifted. His lean form slid down her body, but nothing about it seemed prompted by arousal. With his ear pressed lightly to her chest, he stayed that way for a long moment, and she felt free to thread her fingers through his hair.

"What are you doing?" she whispered almost playfully.

"Listening," he replied softly. Her brow furrowed, but a smile was still at her lips.

"To what?"

"Your heart. To make sure you're real."

And she didn't really have a way to respond, except to lean forward to kiss the top of his head.

"I love you, Sunshine."

She could hear the smile in his voice.

"I love you, too."


	12. Kiss is 12

He doesn't remember their first kiss.

Naruto isn't the kind of person to forget things like that—as many insults to his intelligence as he gets, he has an amazing memory—and a knack at recalling details. So months after it happens, and he tries to bring the moment to life in his mind and it's too hazy to really describe, he feels alarm settle in his chest.

How could he forget _that? _It had been the mark of success after years and years of effort on his part. Since they were in the Academy and he had developed the initial crush on her, following through the genin years where he had contested one-sidedly with the duck-butt Uchiha, and then through their teens until it finally all fell into place when she was eighteen and he seventeen.

And he _could not remember the kiss._

It bothers him much more than it should—or perhaps just right. It's a huge thing. It's one of the biggest. Not only was it his first kiss period (he disqualified the one with Sasuke always since it wasn't even a kiss), but it was the first one he had shared with her.

He was supposed to remember those things—he remembered all the anniversaries, and all the promises he makes, and even what foods she does and doesn't like.

But he _cannot remember the damn kiss._

It weighs down on him like a cinderblock of guilt, crushing him until he can hardly take it. It's been almost a year since it happened (he remembers the date of the kiss perfectly, and the events leading up to it just as clearly), and he doesn't know if she even remembers. It wasn't the anniversary of their relationship, anyway. Just of the kiss.

But he remembers the day and he cannot remember the very reason it's important.

He makes no mention of it throughout the day, when she wakes and untangles herself from his hold to go do her shift at the hospital, or when he stops by at lunch after he's gotten done with some training, or even when they both get home after grocery shopping when her day was done (since his days were missionless right now and he spent them lollygagging around).

No mention until it's night time again, and they're pressed close in their room, her back to his front, and she's dozing while he's still wide awake. It's troubling him much more than it should, but he just cannot shake it.

"Sakura-chan," he murmurs softly into her hair.

"Mmmmmm?" she hums, the questioning sound light and easy. It does nothing to assuage the tension inside of him.

"Do you know what today is?" he asks, a bit louder. She's quiet for a long moment, and he almost worries she's fallen asleep.

"It's an anniversary," she replies, sleep slurring her words together.

"Of our first kiss," he affirms, a slight smile taking over the frown he had been courting. "Exactly a year ago."

He can practically hear the mirrored smile spread across her lips. "You're ridiculous, Sunshine. Why do you remember the oddest things?" Her words are slow and still soft, but their meaning strike him in the feel bads.

"I don't remember it, though," he confesses in a whisper, expecting surprise and shock and awful things in return. But they never come.

"Why not?" she asks simply, not at all worried or… even upset sounding. His brow furrows, both in confusion and at the question.

"I… don't know. I just remember I haven't really stopped. They all kind of go together, now. It felt too natural to be important." He only realizes it as he says it, but when he does it makes sense. He remembers kisses as they happen—when he sneaks one while she's at work, when they're out for lunch, when they're resting during a mission. He remembers those more than he can ever recall the details of the first, because since that first they all seem like a given. Like it's the thing he's supposed to do. So why is one any more important than the next?

"Then shhhhhhh, Sunshine. Sleep," she commands him, running her hand up and down his arm, reassuring. She wasn't bothered in the first place, and now that he's made himself feel better, maybe he'll stop being so tense. Sure enough, with a grumble and a sigh, he loosens behind her, and she smiles as his breath steadies to match hers, and falls back asleep that way.


	13. Feet are 11

"But they're cold!"

"Yes, I am aware, you idiot. Now get back here."

"No! This is torture!"

"You're gonna be sleeping on the couch, I swear, if you don't come back over here right now!"

Times like these were the reasons why, when people asked about the relationship he and Sakura held, Naruto often said it was abusive and he had no idea what he was doing putting up with her abuse and meanness and harassment and overall evilness.

But then it also had to be taken into account that he might be a _bit _of a drama queen, and nothing she threw at him (minus actual punches) was really that bad.

"But... cold!" he whined from the far edge of the bed, his knees drawn up to his chest and a pillow hiding the lower half of his face while he looked on her in borderline horror. The roseate was slightly curled on her own side of the bed, the covers up to her shoulders while she glared at him.

"Awww, muffin. Now come to bed, or go to the couch. It's your choice." The ultimatum was delivered very plainly, without an ounce of give about it—there was no way out of this monstrosity of a task.

Grumbling under his breath the whole while, the blonde moved closer and flung the covers back, slipping under them before dramatically inhaling, making a big show about holding his breath as he situated himself right behind the demanding woman, waiting for the horrible feeling that he knew was about to ensue after he snuggled close.

And then her icy cold feet were tangled into his, and the awful bite of frigid skin against his space-heater like own made him whine in discomfort.

"Sakura-chaaaan, why are your feet so cold all the tiiiime," he complained, rubbing his feet along hers in an attempt to make them warm up faster.

"Bad circulation. Now shush, and turn out the light. 'S sleepytimes," she yawned in response, obviously not caring very much about his feelings on the situation.

With a few more mutterings under his breath, he reached behind himself and twisted the bedside lamp's knob, killing the light and his ability to see the triumphant grin on her face.


	14. Things are 10

One of the first things that Naruto learned very early on in their relationship was that Sakura did _not _approve of the idea of him buying her things. At least in theory.

But he was the kind of guy, who since he cherished and was such an ass about his money as he was, felt that by spending on her he could also try to convey his feelings. Perhaps a shallow concept, but to him, it made sense. He thought money was important—therefore he could show she was _more _important by using it _on_ her.

Bringing it up though? Bad idea. He usually got a swat and a scowl and a stern 'don't you dare,' which he couldn't find it in himself to understand. The reluctance to accept the gifts, he felt he could kind of comprehend. Neither of them had very stable financial backgrounds as kids, and now it was a major 'thing' for them both to be able to be independent when it came to the monetary field. But that didn't stop his tendency to get her little things that he thought would be important, even if they didn't hold much real value.

Sometimes they'd be walking around the mall, and she'd look at something she really wanted—a silly shirt with a cool design, or a book at the bookstore near where she worked, and he'd watch as she made that face—the one where she would fight herself not to buy whatever it was—and he'd make a little note in his head. They would leave, and she would sigh over the loss, but also know that in reality she didn't necessarily _need _it, even if she really _wanted _it. Maybe next paycheck. Maybe when there was a sale.

That mental note would stick with him. It would stick with him until he walked her to work and kissed her goodbye, smiling as she waved him away before going to change for her shift, stuck his headphones in his ears and walked to the store—out of the way or no—and browsed around until he found it again.

In this particular case—a book.

The latest installment in a series she loved, and even though it was thirty percent off as it was, she had talked herself out of getting it.

He picked it up and walked to the check-out, regardless of the slight bite of worry he felt thinking about her reaction. Maybe she would be mad at him for it. Maybe she would get angry at him for going against her wishes, when she had previously made it known she didn't want him to buy her things.

Well, he supposed it was a good thing he was pretty bad at listening anyway.

Despite the trouble his credit card gave him while paying for the book (apparently the machine was pretty faulty anyway) his mission was a success. With a quick stop to the grocery store to pick up cat litter, he walked back to their shared apartment and felt rather good about himself. He was a pretty awesome boyfriend, if he had to say so himself. Not only taking care of the girl, but also the cats, which was obviously the quickest way into the girl's heart.

So after cleaning the room and tidying the rest of the house (note the use of the word tidying and not cleaning, because what he did wasn't really cleaning so much as giving off the illusion of cleanliness), he set the book on the bed and spent his day waiting with the internet until he had to leave and get her. Another thing he... just did. An assumed one, yes—and they were planning on seeing a movie right after her shift anyway, so it wasn't like he was just walking there and back.

The movie was good—but what happened towards the end? Not so much.

After being texted by a former roommate about an argument over a damage deposit that was apparently holding the potential to be blown into a case being filed in court, the anger the roseate was exuding was borderline frightening—he didn't even know what to say except to walk close next to her as they trudged home within her cloud of fury, holding her hand when she reached for his, and agreeing on the former roommate's status as an absolute douchebag.

But then they got home, and she went to sit on the bed and suddenly turned to him.

"You idiot! You got it for me!"

It took him a long moment to realize what she was talking about—but then his eyes found the book on the bed, and he offered a lopsided grin, and scratched awkwardly at the back of his neck.

"Well, you said you wanted it, so..."

And then she was on him, hugging him close with a smile on her face—it comforted him, after seeing her raging for the past hour.

"Why are you so adorable?" she asked into his shirt, and he laughed softly instead of countering her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head.


	15. Shirts are 9

He knows it's cheesy, and he knows it's so cliché that he shouldn't be pleased, but he can hardly suppress a grin when she wears his things.

She's stylish and very attentive to what she wears, even to bed—always something classy.

Unless it's one of his big, baggy shirts which totally doesn't adhere to the usual standards, that is.

She doesn't ask for them. She doesn't have to. Maybe she knows that it makes him happy to see her in them—like it's a sign of ownership or possession. Though if he worded it like that, she might punch him for it. Perhaps… Sentimentality as the reason instead instead. The knowledge that when she puts it on, he catches her pull the collar up to her nose to smell _him_…

It warms his heart in ways he can't describe.

He knows by that one gesture that she wants him around—wants him to be there with her, and to be close, and to envelope her and just hold her forever. It soothes worries he has, and it makes it hard to do anything but love her, because how can he not when she's so adorable?

He doesn't say anything out loud when he sees her wear his things, but his smile speaks much louder than his words ever could.


	16. Starbucks is 8

Although they're so much alike, they're also so very different—even going to what they order at Starbucks.

She gets the wild and fancy things that most of the time aren't even on the menu—combined things that make for exotic tasting blends of whatever she wants right then. He gets simple things—in fact, he gets one of two drinks. Either a regular coffee, or a double-chocolatey-chip frappaccino as a comfort vice. Depending on the occasion.

So he doesn't particularly understand her taste, but he respects it and doesn't question it.

They're walking to work one day (well, he's walking _her_ to work), and she groaned when she looked from the time on her phone to the Starbucks next to the theatre she currently works at.

"What's wrong?" he asked, squeezing the hand in his worriedly. She shook her head.

"It's nothing. There's just not enough time for me to get my drink," she lamented, a sulky look settling on her face. He isn't usually around to walk her in the mornings and didn't know she stopped by there, but now that he is…

"Well, what do you normally get?" he probed.

"A green tea lemonade," she replied without much thought, still sulking at the loss.

"I'll grab it for you. I'll just swing back around when the theatre actually opens." It's a half hour wait, but that's not that long, what with the book store being connected to the coffee shop.

"You don't have to…" she started, but the look on her face said that she would _really _like to have that lemonade… They reached the front doors, and she pressed the doorbell. The shadow of someone from inside came towards them.

"Shhhh, I'll see you in half an hour," he said with a quick kiss to her cheek before pulling out his iPod, turning the corner and making his way to the adjacent building.

The time passes easy—with shelves of books to entertain him, how else could it? When he moves to the Starbucks, he scans the boards up above, looking for the particular label she had asked for—but it wasn't there. So it was something she had found for herself… Sidling up to the counter, he offered the barista a grin, ordered, and was out the door within the next few minutes.

A crowd had gathered outside the theatre by the time he walked to the doors, and he felt a bit awkward standing alone. He could hear the whining of children as they noted the time was now 11:31—a minute past opening, and he rolled his eyes. Really? _Kids… _Out of habit from having the cup in his hand, he took a sip of the drink, and wrinkled his nose. It wasn't bad, no, but... Well, he preferred sweeter things.

The blonde was lingering as close as he could to the entrance to avoid getting caught behind the actual movie-goers, and was able to slip in as soon as the doors were opened. Walking quickly over to the box office, he watched her look of boredom and dread turn to something a bit more cheery, and appreciation was clear in her smile.

"Oh God, I love you right now," she told him while taking the cup, cradling it in her hands.

"Of course, only when I bring you things," he retorted. She rolled her eyes.

"Shut up okay, you know I love you all the time," she called after him as he looped around the maze of a belted off area for the lines, to which he only grinned as he exited the theatre.

And every day following he made sure to get her that drink after he dropped her off, without question and with a half hour at the bookstore each time.


	17. Birthday is 7

Birthdays had never been a really big deal for Naruto- maybe because he hadn't really celebrated them as a child, what with not having a family to do so with. To him, they were a way to count the days away to kinda important things. Things like when he was able to go to the pool alone, driving, ability to get a job without some kind of permit, and finally, drinking. Anything past that, he didn't much care. Just that he could finally do those things—the birthday itself didn't even matter.

He didn't really think that they would ever be big deals, actually- and it didn't really occur to him that other people might try to do something special- something nice and thoughtful.

Of course, the first birthday he spent with Sakura (and not just as close friends) put an end to that belief.

"You shouldn't even worry about it, Sakura," he told her. It was still a few weeks off, and she was stressing already. What cake did he want, where did he want to go to dinner, what did he want as a present? Things that he'd never really considered, nor had to. "It's just a birthday."

From her seat on the couch, she scowled at him. "Bullshit it's just a birthday! It's your birthday and it's gonna be special and… And think about it! You'll be able to drink! You'll be an adult! You'll be legal!"

He smirked. "Like that stopped you before."

He barely dodged the pillow thrown at his head.

"Naruto, shut up and answer the question."

He had to bite back a groan. "And what was the question again?"

"Where do you wanna go for dinner?"

"Some place with food."

This time, he didn't dodge fast enough.

* * *

She eventually managed to coax out answer from him—at least a few. Enough to plan the day so that she was content to leave him alone. A couple of days before the actual 'big event,' he found himself being dragged (well, he would have gone anyway if only to not face the boredom and loneliness of remaining home alone) to the supermarket, for both groceries and the picking of the cake mixes. Well. Kind of.

She really just grabbed something and he nodded his approval before even looking because cake was cake and he'd always eat cake.

But what he didn't expect was the improvised Tupperware container (which was a rectangle in shape which made it even more interesting) mixing bowl with the massive amount of batter from two cake mix boxes, and the threats of being beat if he didn't get his fingers out of the batter.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I swear if you put your hand in that bowl I'll beat you with the mixing spoon." The threat came just as the thought had popped into his mind, and he looked around the corner of the kitchen at her as she sat in front of the TV.

"It's actually more of a box," he corrected, a grin on his face.

"Touch it and you're on the couch."

* * *

That night they barely managed to stay up until midnight, but she was the first one to tell him happy birthday—at least in person. If the Facebook wishes didn't count, that is. Damn time zones.

And though he doesn't remember saying it, that probably meant the world to him because no one had ever bothered before.

* * *

She took him to dinner that night too—and though he was reluctant to let her pay without even helping, he knew it was special to her for whatever reason, and made no protest. It was nice—they drew on the tables and talked about random things, and really, it felt like a normal date.

Until the singing started.

But not for him, thank everything in existence. No, it would seem that two other patrons also shared his birthday—and were forced to wear a very obnoxious hat, get photographed in said hat, and then sung to by a crowd of waiters.

Basically public humiliation at the expense of the birthday holder, and for the amusement of the family who told the staff about the 'special day.'

"Oh man, I thought that was for me and I almost flipped out," he laughs lightly after someone right behind her gets the hat of shame.

Immediately he regretted his words, when he saw the mischievous glint in her eye.

"I should tell them."

Naruto froze.

"No, don't. Please, don't please please Sakura please no Sakura-chan please," he pleaded, whispering under his breath so as to avoid the attention of the dispersing waiters and waitresses.

"I dunno, Sunshine. Eighteenth birthday is kiiiiinda big," she said levelly, her voice only minimally raising on the words 'eighteenth birthday,' making him flinch and flail his hands across the table at her.

"SHHHHH not so loud please no that's awful why would you do that?" he squawked lowly, his levels of distress rising.

She only smirked, and carried on normal conversation, until threatening repeatedly throughout the dinner to inform their waiter of the event, just to watch him squirm.

Much to his relief, she _didn't _forsake his pride, and they left the restaurant hand in hand.

* * *

The cake came later, and its massive size alone was intimidating to the blonde. With three layers of thick chocolate goodness with bananas and nutella glazing between each and buttercream icing coating it sparingly, the creation was very impressive. And the pride she held in herself for making it made it seem all that more important.

They didn't make a big deal of it—no candles or singing or anything like that, and he honestly wasn't sure if he didn't like that more. So they ate in a fair amount of silence, in which he was barely able to eat half of the portion she had served him, and by habit they went to bed after for lack of anything else better to do.

And though the last mention of his birthday was a soft 'happy birthday,' as he snuggled down close to her, he knew that he would remember it always. Because she had given him a day more special than anything he could have imagined, and every small gesture made meant the world to him and touched his feelings in ways he couldn't describe. So he smiled contently, and hugged her tight, settling down into the happy feels and warmth she provided.


	18. Help is 6

He admires Sakura more than anyone else he knows. She's strong, resilient, and independent. Capable of doing anything she puts her mind to… Looks fantastic while doing it, and maintains an air that makes him think nothing is ever wrong—unless something in particular is upset in her world right in that moment.

Naruto has also noticed that her strength has made her loathe to accepting help. He doesn't really remember any times when she's reached out to others for aid, or asked for any kind of assistance in anything she puts her mind to. If there was a time when it happened, it must have been on the very down-low. And it applies to all kinds of help—from help with bills, to help carrying things.

When the blonde first noticed that reluctance, he devoted himself to changing it—at least when it came to him. Just with small things at first—and usually with things involving him.

If they went to lunch, he would reason it made more sense for him to pay than setting up two orders, or he ate more than her anyway so splitting a bill in half would be unfair to her. If they took a cab, he made sure to be the first to declare payment by credit and shove his card in front of hers, and grin in response to her scowl. If they went to the store, he'd make sure to extend his stride so he could open the door for her, and grab the bags on the way out before she could think about carrying them.

They were just little tasks that he felt he needed to do for her—and especially for her. Not many other people were privileged to his efforts, though she didn't really seem to notice it.

Well, she did notice the 'efforts.' But sometimes he doubted whether or not she appreciated them or not.

They were sitting in their living room eating cereal, watching the television in a fair amount of silence, because eating was very serious business. He finished before her, and put his bowl in the sink to soak before returning to his spot, and watched her from the corner of his eye. She was a slower eater than he in most cases, and was distracted by the show anyway.

As soon as she tilted her head back against the wall with the spoon set in the bowl, and gave that tell-tale sigh of content that people gave when they were full and finished, he pounced. Snatching the bowl from her hands, she didn't have the chance to try and steal it back before he was en route to the kitchen.

"Why do you always do that?" she asked him with a scowl and a hint of annoyance. His shoulders drooped while he filled the bowl with water.

"I just wanna help," he mumbled in return, hardly audible over the running faucet.

"Well, I could've done it myself," she huffed indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know." Moving back to the living room, he took a tentative seat next to her, looking forlorn and almost apologetic. "I just… It's how I show I care. I _want_ to help. I'm here for you, even when it comes to the littlest things. I want to help you with them," he tried to explain, looking to the side sheepishly.

The words settled between them for a moment, and then she laughed softly. "Sunshine, you are such a dork," she whispered affectionately as she leaned into him, using his shoulder as a pillow and focusing her attention again on the TV.


	19. Shower is 5

A lot of people seemed to hold the belief that Naruto was a pervert—stemming from the fact his two more recent teachers had both been… Well, one was more subtle with it, but the other? Not so much. He wasn't known as the pervy sage for nothing, after all.

And that reputation had rubbed off onto him, regardless of how warranted or unwarranted it was. So as a result, he typically did his best to try and avoid encouraging that particular view of him.

However, certain pink-haired girlfriends made that _very _difficult.

The quick succession of notifications dinging at him from his computer brought the blondes attention to the blinking chat window, and he sighed before clicking on it. He'd been engaged in a conversation with Ino, Sakura's roommate, while the roseate had gone to shower and just wanted to hear the noise stop. But reading the name, his brow furrowed slightly.

'_Hey Sunshine_

_Sunshine_

_Hey_

_Sunshine hey_

_Naruto_

_NARUTO'_

'You're supposed to be showering,' he typed back quickly, nodding his head and smiling at something that Ino had said. He was only visiting, as he was waiting for his own apartment to be rid of fleas—which Kiba had managed to bring in with Akamaru's help.

'_I know_

_You should come shower too'_

The text made him let out a strangled sound, which he passed off as a cough after the blonde girl's curious look.

'_I'm talking to Ino you can shower by yourself,' _he replied. Well. By talking he meant listening, since she wasn't really giving him any sort of chance to interject with his own words.

'_so?' _

'_I can't just walk into the bathroom and her not realize we're both in there at the same time. No.' _She could try to play innocent—but he knew very well what would happen if he got into that shower with her, and nothing good or cleansing would come from it.

'_sunshine we've been together for how long I really don't think she'd care'_

'_But I care! No,' _he reaffirmed. That was that, and his answer was final, and there was no way he would be otherwise swayed, and—

'_please? I'm just lonely and want company.'_

_Fuck. _She knew how to get him every single damn time.

'_Fine, but I'm sitting on the toilet the whole time.'_

He got up, thankfully standing at a time where there was a break in topics, and offered Ino a smile and an awkward wave before making his escape to the bathroom. Slipping in, he sat on the toilet seat and huffed.

"Well, you win," he declared, announcing his presence.

"You actually came!" she replied, her grin clear just in her voice alone from behind the shower curtain—which was almost clear anyway (enough that he could define her shape from the other side at least).

"Yeah, yeah. But I'm not getting in the shower," he retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. He kept his eyes on the wall. "So ha."

The sound of the curtain being pulled to the side came before he saw the quick burst of darkened pink near his face, and his gaze was drawn to her eyes as she stood there with the curtain almost fully aside. She was bent over slightly to be at his face level, and he found himself caught in her very impish smile.

"Yes you are," she corrected. He pouted.

"No I'm not. You can't make me."

The roseate seemed to give the statement thought, before sliding the curtain back to its original place. "You're no fun," she told him, "I should just get you wet and then it's only reasonable you come in,' to which he laughed.

"You wouldn't do it. So no, I'm not coming in."

Not saying that he didn't want to—because god, he did. To be honest, he had no idea how he had managed not to gawk at her right then and there. It wasn't anything new to see, no, but that didn't chance the reactions he had in response to seeing her so… starkly on display. Caught up in his thoughts, he didn't hear the sound of some kind of container being filled in the meantime.

But then a hand with a Tupperware container was reaching around and tipped above his head, drenching his hair and shirt in water. He let out a yelp in disbelief, standing abruptly and holding his arms out like people do when they randomly get soaked.

"I told you I'd do it," she taunted him, peeking just slightly from behind the curtain, obviously grinning.

Scowling, he pushed the plasticy material away and leaned over the tub and into the line of water, but put his hands on either side of her, leaving their faces only a few inches apart. The water ran down his back and used his body as a conductor to get onto the bath mat and floor, but he didn't really seem to care. Her grin grew in triumph.

"I told you," she whispered at him again, leaning ever so slightly forward to brush their lips together before pulling back again. Her hands were traveling down his sopping wet torso, teasing the bottom of his shirt.

The blonde grit his teeth before rolling his eyes. "Why are you so difficult?" he muttered, doing nothing as she tugged up the dark fabric.

"You're already halfway in, so you might as well just finish up," she advised, ignoring his question. With a groan he straightened, much to her triumphant laugh, and allowed her to remove his shirt. But when her fingers went to pull down the waistband of the pyjama pants he was wearing, he batted them away and stepped over the bathtub's edge, standing there with his bottom half fully clothed.

"Nope. You're only going to half win," he informed her, crossing his arms over his chest like he wasn't looking like an idiot in the shower just to prove a point.

She pouted, but stepped forward to hug him with a hum. "Fine. Close enough."

* * *

"I'm surprised you managed to keep your eyes on my face, Sunshine. Good job."

"Shut up."

"I'm complimenting your control!"

_Smack_

"_Ow! _You didn't have to hit me!"

"Shhhh, Sakura-chan. I do what I want."


	20. Parents are 4

"What's wrong with you, huh?"

The blonde was snapped out of his thoughts, both by the question and the squeeze of his hand. He looked to the roseate by his side, and he offered a feeble smile.

"Nothin'. Nothin' at all," he replied, inflecting a note of chipperness into his tone. A chipperness he definitely was not feeling. No, he was feeling like his insides were in turmoil, tossing and turning and doing all sorts of weird things within him. Nerves did that to him.

"Liar." The accusation came with a light smack to his arm, to which he pouted.

"Am not. I'm fine, Sakura-chan," he insisted, swinging their held hands exuberantly. The look she was giving him was still very disbelieving, and it was obvious that she wasn't just about to let it drop. However, she continued on in almost silence, leading the way to her parents' house, seeing as he had no idea where it was.

Considering this would be his first time meeting them.

He had told her that he was nervous prior to that day anyway, but she had just brushed him off and told him that he had no reason to be. That they'd love him of course, and that her mother already loved everything she had heard about him, and was dying to see him.

Oh yes, all was well and good when it was words. But when it came to the actual event?

Did all people have to go through this? This gut-wrenching nervousness that threatened to make him vomit up his cereal from that morning? It was going against all of his most recent experiences, anyway. He knew he held a natural sort of charm, now that he had grown away from his more annoying childhood tendencies. People took a liking to him, even when he wasn't doing his best to impress. Which he would be, tonight.

Suddenly, she brought them to a stop in between two baseball fields, and looking across the way, he could already see the green house he knew was her family's. Its shade made it stand out a bit more than the others.

"So, why're you so tense?" she asked him, crossing her arms over her chest to more firmly plant herself. Naruto pouted, but by the unamused eyebrow raise she gave, he knew he couldn't whine his way out of this. Scuffing his heel against the grass, he looked at the ground.

"I'm just scared, okay?" he grumbled.

The roseate frowned. "Scared of what? I didn't think the almighty Naruto was afraid of anything."

He scowled at her. "This is different. I just want to make an impression and I'll probably screw up and it'll be awful and just—"

"Sunshine, shhhhhh," she soothed, and stepped forward to hug him. He buried his nose into her hair, inhaling deeply. "If I love you, they'll love you. I know it."

Although on the inside he really felt like contesting the point, he just squeezed to him tightly. She wasn't going to let him get out of this anyway, so there was no point in struggling further. After a moment she pulled away, grabbed his hand again, and dragged him up to the doorstep. Finally, he took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

* * *

"See? I told you," she told him smugly later that night, after they had returned to her apartment and were getting ready for bed. He rolled his eyes and tugged on a sleep shirt.

"It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it'd be, no," he conceded, but turned his back on her to fiddle with the alarm. The blonde felt arms wrap around his waist, and a cheek press to his back. He couldn't help but smile a bit.

"They liked you," she told him, her voice sounding content.

He turned in her grasp, and kissed her forehead. "Probably only because I love you."


	21. Laughter is 3

Unlike him, Sakura wasn't free with her smiles. The same went for her laughs.

Maybe that's why he liked trying to make her laugh so much.

And to him, it was a perfect kind of laugh—not to loud or too soft or weird by any means. Just… Her's. Well. _And_ his, in a way.

But in all the years that he had known her, he apparently hadn't heard her _really _laugh. The kind of laugh that made it hard to breathe until all you could do was sit there and shake and try not to suffocate on your own tongue. So when he accidentally found a trigger to cause that kind, he was kind of… Astounded.

Sitting on her bed like most evenings, he had his chin propped on her shoulder while he watched her browse the internet (aka tumblr), content to just sit there and be close. She was fairly absorbed in what she was doing, but he only saw a few things as she scrolled—a picture of a cat, some kind of fanart, food porn…

The infinite scrolling stopped on a post about a certain episode of some show. She laughed, and he focused on the text.

"I wish there was audio. Now I want to go and find the episode," she told him with a slight smile, and continued on with her browsing.

"What, because he was talking with helium?" he asked. Sitting back, he swallowed and adjusted his throat slightly, pressing the back of his tongue towards the roof of the back of his mouth so hardly any air made it through. From experience, he knew it would alter his voice into a higher, squeakier pitch- very similar to how a helium-breathing person might sound. "I can make a voice like that."

Sakura froze, and turned her head very slowly to look at him. His face fell at the look. She seemed almost… Horrified…

Until she fell back and started laughing louder than he had ever heard her before. The worry that he had felt for that span of seconds dissipated, and a smile broke across his face before he leaned forward and towards her, where she had curled up on her side and hadn't stopped laughing.

"What's so funny, huh?" he asked in the same voice, peeking over her shoulder with an eyebrow raised in a very overdramatic fashion.

"Naruto, stop!" she shrieked at him when she was able to take a breath, holding her sides tightly while she tried to contain herself.

"Stop what? I'm just talking to you." He wrapped his arms around her, and rocked back and forth. "What're you laughing at?"

It was amazing the difference between her normal laugh and this one. Even on a regular basis she seemed more reserved, like even though something was amusing, it wasn't quite up to par. But right now? He could see she wasn't holding back—or at least wasn't able to. It was like he was witnessing something only he was privy to, and that made it more special than anything.

"Naruto!" she barely managed to get out, tears collecting at the corners of her eyes. "I can't breathe oh god."

"Okay okay I'll stop," he soothed softly in his normal voice, a grin still straining his face in ways that made it hurt. But she kept laughing, and he kept watching in amazement, content to just appreciate the fact that this was his and his alone.


	22. Video Games are 2

Most people didn't know it, but Sakura was a huge gamer. Well, not huge in comparison to the general idea of a 'gamer,' but in comparison to Naruto? Much more of a gamer. He enjoyed his few choice games, and wasn't even particularly against trying new ones- it was just he didn't have the motivation to finish them, usually, and found it easier not to start in the first place.

Sakura, on the other hand, spent much of her free-time playing video games. Whether they be new, old, beaten before, PC, console… It didn't matter. So long as it was something that could captivate her, and usually included a fairly attractive hero of pixels to look at. Much of the time, the hero_ was_ what captivated her, and he swore that's the only reason she played the game—to look at the piece of ass on the screen. And when he said as much, he usually got a smack for it.

He didn't mind her hobby of sorts. He had heard of couples who fought over time spent gaming, but he didn't understand why—maybe it was because he was a guy. If she was playing, he would leave and go find something else to do—eat, or browse the internet, or watch TV in another room, or all of the above and play with the cats. It didn't much matter. Sometimes, he was even content to just sit and watch silently.

And sitting and watching was what he was reduced to on a Monday where neither of them had to go to their respective works, and pyjamas were the preferred choice of clothing.

"Aw shit, I hate this temple," she moaned at the television screen, dramatically flailing her hands and controller with them. With half-lidded eyes he glanced at the screen as well, watching Link enter some kind of icy area.

"Why?" he questioned to humour her. He stretched, arching his back against the wall and humming slightly before returning to his slightly fetal position. He looked up at her face, amused to see how intense her stare was as she tried to navigate some sort of puzzle.

"Stupid block puzzles. I hate them," she told him, thumb hammering on a button vigorously.

"Ahhhh," he replied, a smile on his face while he returned his gaze to the TV. No, he wasn't as into them as she was, but he could appreciate them just as much- if only because she was awful adorable when she played.

Caught on that line of thought, he found himself paying less and less attention to the game, and more to his mind's ramblings. The blonde only hummed to answer her questions or exclamations, in things that sounded like affirmatives or declinations.

And his change in demeanour didn't go unnoticed. Eventually, even the hums grew less common, and were replaced by slight snores and deep exhales.

Pausing her game, Sakura looked over and down at the blonde curled next to her, his head resting just by her side, since she was propped up with pillows while she played. Running a hand through his hair lightly, she smiled—she liked it when he stayed to watch her, even if he did fall asleep. It meant he just wanted to be close, and she just wanted him to be close, too.


	23. Writing is 1

Almost no one knew that Naruto loved to write.

Maybe it was because there was so much doubt when it came to his intelligence—oh, he didn't understand complicated math or remember formulas very well, but he was good at other things. History? He excelled in, even if he didn't like it much. Politics and government? His favourite and his best classes. And when it came to his literature courses, he also excelled—at least in the writing portions.

After he had been set up with Jiraiya as his private mentor, the blonde had adopted the old perv's favourite hobby—not peeping in bathhouses, no, but creating stories. Jiraiya mentored him through that aspect of his learning as well, editing what he wrote and critiquing as he went, until he and Naruto had grown to use each other to bounce ideas off of, finding their 'work' to be a very finalizing tie in their bond.

When Sakura found out about it soon after they became roommates, it was a complete accident and it embarrassed him to no end.

"Naruto, I didn't know you wrote. Hell, and good at that," she had called to him from the living room. He froze, and dashed out of his bedroom looking paler than usual.

"I don't! What are you talking about? What are you doing? Why are you looking at that?" he asked, almost stammering. Peering over her shoulder, he could see that she was using his laptop (which he had said she could while hers was getting repaired), and had opened a Word file—from the looks of it, of a story he had just recently started writing.

"I was just going to make a list of things to-do, but I clicked open recent instead of new and it came up," she told him with a worried frown. Why was he flipping out about it? "Sunshine, calm down. This is actually really good."

A severe blush rose in his cheeks. "It's nothing. Just something I thought of a few weeks ago…"

"Nothing? Naruto, come on." She was staring at him with an exasperated expression, almost irked that he wasn't owning up to what he had written. It's not like she was lying—she really did think it was good. And not just from the mindset of 'oh he definitely doesn't write.' From a 'if I were looking for something to read I would continue with this' mindset, as well.

"Do you really like it?" he murmured, still looking more embarrassed than he normally ever afforded. Her harsh expression softened—she hadn't realized how… apparently self-conscious he was about it.

"I do. You should show me more of what you've written. I'd like to read it," she replied with a smile. He smiled back.

Following the revelation, she was constantly encouraging him to write more—whether it be his own work, or a fanwork. Just… something. She would read through them and offer critique if he asked for it, especially on the grammatical and technical side, and eventually they would discussed plots and characters.

Through all of that, he wasn't ever sure if the importance of that really struck her—that he was sharing this part of him with her, his imagination and creations…

They were what had gotten him through the most difficult parts of his life, and acted as a safe haven to retreat to. They were a part of him he protected like nothing else, and shielded from almost everyone. And he was just letting her in, and take part of that. No, even more than that.

She became a sort of muse to him—she inspired him to write more, even if he only showed her what he wrote. She made him want to create, just to see her face when she liked an idea, or swat him because why would he do something like that to a character? She turned into a driving force that kept him going, with his plots and stories, so he constantly constructed new things to discuss with her.

Over time, their best friendship—which still remained rather intact—developed into that 'more' he had been silently lusting for. It would figure that it came about when he told her in a story format the history of his feelings; she still called him a dweeb for it. There was basically no change—except he could be more openly worried when she stayed out late, and his bedroom in their two-roomed apartment had been turned into more so of a storage space.

The time that he was able to spend writing dwindled—he wrote less and less, but still plotted and thought, coming up with characters and twists. Naruto knew it saddened her, but he could hardly find the time to finish any of the things he started. Especially when he was having to take frequent trips to finish his diploma. Seminars in other cities for a weekend—panels that lasted a week. Little things like that.

"Hey, it'll be okay. I'll be back in three weeks," he spoke into the phone on one of these trips, just setting his bags down in the hotel he had been assigned. The stupid thing vibrated against his ear—it was on its last legs, having been used all day without being charged.

"It's twenty-three days," came the grumbled reply. He smiled sadly. Only she would point out the extra two days.

"Sakura-chan, you'll be wishing it was longer by the time I get back," he tried to soothe, keeping his tone chipper. He was dragging and exhausted from jet-lag, but it pained him to know she was hurting because of his absence.

"No, I won't! Sunshine, you're an idiot," she scolded, and he could hear rummaging into the cabinet. Probably looking for some sort of comfort food.

"Am not. It'll be okay, I promise. It's just twenty-three days." It left an ache in his chest, but he knew he could look forward to that day and be okay. But he worried more about her.

"I'm just gonna sit in bed and watch sad anime and eat sour watermelons until I have to get up to get you at the airport." As if to affirm her point, he heard the plastic bag of the gummies open.

"Baby, please be happy," he pleaded, unzipping his bags and putting things around the room the way he wanted. Clothes in the drawer, laptop on the desk, hygienics in the bathroom…

"Nope."

He could hear the pout on her lips through the phone.

"Please? I love you?" Silence hung between them for a moment before she sighed.

"I love you too, dweeb." Her voice was small and it made his resolve crack a little. It hadn't even been a day, and he already missed her so much…

"I'll make sure to call every day, okay?" he offered. Before he got a response, the phone vibrated again, and he heard that awful telltale FWOOM of the stupid thing powering off.

Scowling at it, he tossed it back onto the bed. He had no idea where his charger was, and knew it would take him fully unpacking to get to it. Moving to the desk, he sat down on the stiff wooden chair and plugged his laptop into the wall, and opened it. Swiping his finger across the scanner, he waited for it to start up. He would send her an email full of sappy stuff, and hope it would assuage her mood even a little bit.

But the first thing that popped up was a Word doc he had been looking at during one of his layovers, and stared at it for a long minute. Boredom had struck him hard, and he had found entertainment in one of his old stories—one of the ones that Sakura had loved. Mostly because the two characters were practically mirror images of them, and the story itself was one that she said she could see happened between them. Just a stupidly cute short that had made her smile.

A grin broke across his face, and he pulled open a new document, and began typing.

"_There were only a few things in the world that he really cherished, and having grown up on his own as an orphan, they tended to be more... sentimental ideas, rather than material objects..."_

But most of all, he cherished a smile.

It wasn't his own smile, no—well, not the one on his face. He did like to think of it as _his_smile in private, though. And he was willing to do most anything just to see it.

And if 'anything' included writing a stupidly cute short story every day until he saw her again… Well. That was fine with him.

* * *

_AN: And that's the end of this!_

_Now, a brief explanation for it. When I first published this fic, I was 23 days away from going to visit my girlfriend of almost two years, who lives in Canada. I, unfortunately, live in Indiana, USA, and got back on the 25th of July. I've only seen her twice since we first started talking over three years ago, and both were in the past six months (first time was in March for our three year anniversary as friends). ANYWAY. _

_She's the Sakura to my Naruto- that's how we first started talking actually. A Naruto RP site. So most of the time when I write about them, I have her in mind. Anyway, so twenty-three days before I got there, she was upset and it really made my chest hurt and I just wanted her to smile, so I decided that I would write something every day for her that would for sure make her smile until I got there and could hug and kiss it all away. It didn't work out quite as a planned- I got busy and I'm awful with deadlines, but I did finish it regardless. Almost every chapter is something that either, A, has actually happened (good examples are chapters Icing, Showers, Birthday, Parents and actually most of them), and some are things that I can foresee happening or that we've talked about (Nursery, Sickness). _

_So some of them might not make sense to you- like Fast Food. But every chapter has something I knew would make her smile, and that's all I cared for. It's all I still care for. I'm just happy that you all enjoyed reading it, too._

_AND YEAH. I dedicate this to her, of course, because she's my everything and I love and miss her more than anything. _


End file.
